White boys from poor backgrounds have the lowest attainment levels at GCSE
than any other social or ethnic group, according to a new report by the
equalities watchdog

White boys from working-class backgrounds are falling further behind other social and ethnic groups at school, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

In its new five-yearly report, the EHRC, the equalities watchdog, found that white boys from poor families achieved GCSE grades that fell below every other ethnic group. Just 28.3 per cent of white boys who were eligible for free school meals achieved five GCSEs at grade A to C.

Of all the ethnic groups studied, the achievement gap between white boys from poor backgrounds and those from middle-class households was the biggest. The national average for white boys achieving five A to C grades at GCSE was 59.1 per cent.

'Being poor now has a far more negative impact on the education of white children' Photo: ALAMY

In a statement, the EHRC said: "Being poor now has a far more negative impact on the education of white children than it does for any other ethnic group.

"Poor white boys suffer higher rates of exclusion from school and achieve the lowest academic results, making them less likely to enter higher education and therefore more likely to end up in lower-paid, insecure jobs."